Pipe tong support



Feb. 17, 1948. c. A. LUN DEEN PIPE TONG SUPPORT Filed March 20 1945 Patented Feb. 17, 1948 2,435,9'i2 PIPE TONG surrolvr Chester A. Lundeen, Los Angeles, Callt, assignor to Byron Jackson 00., Vernon, CaliL, a corporation of Delaware Application March 20, 1945, Serial No. 583,790

This invention relates generally to pipe tong supports, and particularly to hanger structures 4 Claims. (Cl. 255-35) by which drill pipe tongs and casing tongs are suspended in a well derrick.

g It is customary to suspend each well pipe tong from one end of a wire line trained over a sheave in the upper portion of the derrick and havin a counterweight attached to its other end. This mode of suspension offers a minimum of inter? ference with manipulation of the tong when in use, and permits its being swung clear of the working space on the derrick floor when not in use. It is important that the tong be suspended in a horizontal position, in both longitudinal and transverse directions, in order to align the pipe recess in the tong head with the pipe joint to which it is to be applied. It is therefore necessary to attach the tong to the suspension line'at a point directly above the center of mass of the tong. Inasmuch as it is customary to provide interchangeable jaws of different sizes to enable the tong to be applied to a wide range of pipe sizes, the center of mass of the tong cannot be considered as fixed, but, on the contrary, is shifted both longitudinally and laterally of the tong when the jaws are interchanged,

' For the foregoing reason, it has heretofore been proposed to provide a hanger structure for attaching a well pipe tong to a suspension line, wherein means are provided for shifting the point of connection of the suspension line to the hanger structure. An example of a hanger of this type is shown in Patent No. 2,313,743, granted March 16, 1943, to Herbert E. Grau and Chester A. Lundeen, wherein a hanger arm is pivotally attached to the tong lever at its outer, lower extremity and is adjustable about its pivot to move its upper, inner extremity into difierent positions spaced apart longitudinally of the lever. The upper, inner extremity'of the arm is provided with a series of transversely spaced sockets adapted to be'selectively engaged by the usual hook on the 1 end of the suspension l ne. With this typ Of hanger it is necessary to relieve the hanger of the weight of the tong when changing the adjustment of the suspension point.- This is not entirely satisfactory inasmuch 'as the selection of the proper adjustment is arrived at by trial and error.

It is a principal object ofthis invention to provide a, hanger structure for well pipe tongs which may be adjusted while the tong is suspended in working position.

[A further object is to provide a tong'hanger which permits adjustments or the suspension v 2 point both longitudinally and transversely of the tong, both adjustmentsbeing possible while the tong is suspended in working position.

' A still further object of this invention is to provide a tong hanger incorporating means for adjusting the suspension point ininfinitely small increments while the tong is suspended in working position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a tong hanger of simple and sturdy construction and incorporating novel and improved adjusting means.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and a modification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a tong and hanger structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the upper portion of the hanger of Fig. 1, taken substantially on line IIII of Fig. l and showing the transverse adjusting means;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1, showing in end elevation the means for adjusting the hanger arm about its transverse pivotal axis; 7

'Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line IV-IV ofFig. 3; and V Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a modified type of hanger embodying the novel transverse adjusting means.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, my novel hanger, generally designated I, is shown as applied to a drill pipe and easing tong similar to that illustrated in Figs. 11 and 16 of the aforementioned Patent No. 2,313,743, and comprises generally a lever 2 having clevis means 3 at its outer end for the attachment of a tong line thereto, and having a series of interconnected Jaws forming a tong head 4 attached to the inner end -of the lever. The center of mass of such a tong is usually approximately at the inner extremity of the lever, although its position varies several inches both longitudinally and transversely of the lever, depending on the particular size of laws employed in the head.

The hanger I ofv this embodiment of the inventioncomprises a one-piece arm 5 pivotally connected at its lower end to the lever by a transverse pivot pin 6 extending through a pair of laterally spaced bosses land 8 on the lever (Fig. 3) and through a boss 9 formed on the lower end of theh'anger arm. Similar bosses in and are also'provide'd on the under side of the may be adjusted in the boss l2 to variablylimit.

the counterclockwise pivotal movement of the tong relative to the hanger about the axis of the pivot pin 6. It will be understood that inasmuch,

as the center of mass of the tong is located to the left of the pivot pin 6; as: viewedin- Fi the tong tends to tilt in a counterclockwise diree-t tion, tending to dispose the center of mass directly beneath the axis of the pivot pin. Consequently, the web portion l3 of the lever always exerts pressure against the adjusting screw l-l4-. varying the adjustment of the screw M, the upper extremity of the arm 5 may be adjusted longitudinally of the lever'to: move the suspension point into diflferent. positions corresponding to longitudinal shifting-of; the-center. of mass when thejaws areinterchangem The,;adjus.ting screw may be lockedin adjusted.- position by a lock nut Ma or other suitable-means.

It will be observed that the arm 5 comprises an upright portion and an upper, inwardly inclined portion, the purpose'of whichis to dispose the upper extremity.- thereofabove-the center of mass of the tong and at the same time to provide working clearance. for thGFQthBI tong head when the instant. tong is applied. to. the lower section of a pipe joint.

Referring-now particularly to Fig. 2, the upper extremity of the arm. fi isprovided with atransversely elongated head 15,. at the opposite extremities of which are upstanding. yoke arms l6 and I1 having alignedrbores inwhich a bolt l'8 issupported. Av spool-like sleeve. I9. ismounted on the bolt intermediate the yoke arms l6 and, I], being secured thereto in. any suitable manner such asby a transversepinlZll. The peripheral surface-of the sleeve is provided with a continuous helical groove-21 with which atwisted link 22 is adapted to be threadedly. interlocked. The link. serves as a. means. of attaching thehanger to the usual hook 23.-secured\t.o the lower end of the tong suspension uneza (Fig. 1). Itwill be obvious that upon loosening the. nut 25;. the bolt I 8 may be rotated by a wrenchapplied to, the bolt head, thereby rotating the sleeve l9. to adjust the position of. the link 2.2. axially of the bolt. By reason, of. this threaded adjustment means, it is thuspossiblet'oadjust the suspension point by infinitely small increments to. obtain perfectbalance off the tons, in a transverse direction. Perfect. balance of the tong in the longitudinal. direction of. the lever is also rendered possible by adjustment of; the adjusting screw 4. to shift the suspension point by. infinitely small increments in thatdirection'. 7

Obviously, the spool-type transverse adjust ing means shown in Fig.2 may be employed in conjunction with other forms of hanger structure embodying longitudinal adjustment means difierentfrom, that illustratecl'in Figs. 1', 3 and InFig.,5 there. is shown, for exampleia hanger structure of the type disclosed in Figs. 1'1 tp 16 of the aforementioned, Patent" No, 2313.743, but having incorporated therein a head structure [5a substantially identical with the head I5, of, Fig. 2, and having similar threaded adjusting means tor. the link 2211. The hanger arm 5a of this construction is pivotally connected to the lever 2a at 6a adjacent the outer end of the lever, and is held in any one of several adjusted positions by an arm 5b pivotally connected at its lower end to the lever at B1) and adapted to be selectively connected at its upper end to the arm So at any one of several points 50 spaced apart lengthwise-'of the arm 5m.

From the foregoing deserlptiom of a'. preferred embodiment of the invention and a modification thereof, it will be apparent that I have provided a hangerstructure for well pipe tongs which has numerous advantages, the most outstanding of which'are itssusceptibility to adjustment by infinitely small increments, its susceptibility to adjustmentwhilersupporting the Weight of the tong, and theease with which the adjustment may be effected.

It;.isv to'be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction shown and described, and thatvarious modifications inconstruction. and. arrangement of, parts maybe re-. sortedto without departingfromthe spirit of the invention or the scope/of the appended claims.

1. A hanger structure for. a pipe tong, com, prising: a supporting. member havingmeans for attaching it to a tong; and means: for adjustably connecting the supporting member tov a suspension m-em'ber, said adjustable connecting means including an. element rotatably. carried by said. supporting member and having. an, external helical, groove, and, a second. element connected to saidv suspension member. and supporting said supporting. member, by engaging in said groove, said first element being rotatable toefiect axial movement of. said. secondelement and suspension member relative tosaidsupporting member upon relative rotation. betweensaid; elements;

2. A hanger structure for a pipe tong, comprising:. ahanger. arm= adapted. to be connected adjacent. its lower. end. to apipe tong; and having a pair of horizontally spaced. ears adjacent its upper. end; an elongated member rotatably supported; by said ears adjacent. its ends and having the portion thereof. between said ears helically grooved; a second. memberv supporting said hanger arm by being engaged in the grooved portion of, said elongated member and interlocked. therewith for adjustment axially thereof upon rotation of. said elongated member; means for locking. said. elongated. member against r0- tationto. secure.- said second member in. a selected position axially of said elongatedmember; said. second member being adapted to. be connected to. suspension. means.

In a pipe. tong; at tong. head; a lever ex tending laterally therefrom; andahanger structure comprising, a rigidsupportingarm and pivot means. securing. one, endjthereof, to the lever for. pivotal movement, relative thereto about .a fixed, transverseaxis; means. adjacent the. free endof saidar'm for connecting suspensionvmeans thereto; and. mean threadedly connectedtosaid arm laterally of, said pivot, means. and. engageable with said lever, to, adjustably limit 'thepivotalmovementjof the arm relative to the lever in one direction.

4. A hanger structure for pipe tongs oi the type having arelatively heavy head. and a relatively light handle lever extending therefrom, wherein the hanger structure suspends the pipe tong with its center of gravity in substantial coincidence with. the axis of a suspension line to dispose said tong'head' inposi'tion ior engag;

ity of said pipe tongs and beam; a helical mem- 10 her at the extremity of said beam, said member being rotatably adjustable about an axis normalto the plane defined by said handle lever and beam; a coacting suspension ring engageable with said helical member and supported from said suspension line for movement upon adjustment of said helical member laterally relative to said plane to compensate for lateral displacement of the center of gravity of said beam and tong.

CHESTER A. LUNDEEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,237,427 Grau Apr 8, 1941 2,302,998 Martin Nov. 24, 1942 15 2,313,743 Grau et a1. Mar. 16. 1943 1,649,904 Longgood Nov. 22, 1921 

